Wallowing in Misery

(Artwork courtesy of/Dreamstime.com)

Holiday is over...  Seussilitis rhyming's back.

I'm a little rusty though so, please, cut me some slack.

Haven't written anything that rhymes in several weeks.

Kicked the gear inside my brain but I'm afraid it squeaks.

It's not like there isn't news for me to write about;

Overseas or here in Boston and, I have no doubt,

Congress will provide me fodder for a hundred rhymes

(Sadly, we are living in some interesting times.)

But I've got a nasty cough; I'm feverish and sick

So the part of me that cares about the news won't click.

Wallowing in misery; I'm going back to bed.

Hopefully, tomorrow, I will have a clearer head.

Have Yourselves a Merry Christmas

"It's comin' on Christmas; they're cuttin' down trees..."

It's next week and, am I ready for it? Honey, please.

Haven't started decorating, haven't written cards,

Haven't strung a Christmas light (unlike our neighbors's yards.)

I just bought the tree and wreath; they're both completely bare.

Haven't started shopping 'cause it's frightening out there.

I'm supposed to pick our eldest up from Plymouth State;

There's a jack-knifed tractor-trailer on the highway... Great.

You won't see much rhyming from me in the coming days,

(And I bet that you are just as busy anyways)

So, if we don't get the chance again, I'm wishing you

Very Merry Holidays and Happy New Year, too.

The Problem With Putin

 

Russia's ruble's plummeting because of cheaper oil.

Tensions there are simmering and could come to a boil

As we tighten sanctions further, turning up the heat,

Hoping Russia changes course; that they'll admit defeat.

Problem, as I see it, is that Putin's still in charge

And his cult of personality's grown rather large.

Thanks to Russian media, which Putin now controls,

Most of Russia stands by him, according to the polls.

NATO says that Putin's getting bolder by the day;

Economic sanctions don't appear to hold much sway.

Those may work on other countries and their leaders, but

I've begun to worry Putin really is a nut.

Thank You Australia

Pakistani Taliban descended on a school

Where they opened fire and, as blood began to pool,

Hunted down the children so the death toll's very high...

I can't think about it anymore.  It makes me cry.

Hostages in Sydney (to a Muslim with a gun)

Could have led to riots before all was said and done.

'til the offer thousands of Australians all made;

"I'll ride with you" if you're feeling nervous or afraid.

When the tidings of the Season start to make me blue

I'll think of Australia's act of human kindness, too;

Answering a crime of hate with generosity.

And, if you're in Massachusetts, you can ride with me.

A Pink Hat and a Tee-Shirt Day

I'll be adding another tee-shirt to my collection.

 

6 straight years of winning their Division for the Pats;

12 of 14 years when they got new tee-shirts and hats.

Seasons of accomplishing what others only tried.

Belichick and Brady fill New Englanders with pride.

Think about the streak of wins the 2 of them are on;

Even now, with stars from older winning seasons gone,

Belichick and Brady keep on adding to their wins...

Like the one from yesterday against Miami's 'phins.

Next week, in New Jersey, they'll be taking on the Jets

Where Division rivalry's as nasty as it gets.

Belichick should focus on just getting out alive.

Keep Tom Brady playing football 'til he's 45.

I'll Be Back

I'm sorry; I must be away.

There won't be a new rhyme today,

And, much to my sorrow,

That's still true tomorrow...

But check back on Monday, okay?

"A Rose By Any Other Name..."

If a rose by any other name still smells as sweet,

With the Senate's CIA reporting now complete,

Techniques of Enhanced Interrogation has the same

Stink as torture... Never mind its legal sounding name.

CIA's attempts to shield their countrymen from harm

Went a whole lot further than a simple twisted arm.

EITs, where Everyone Is Targeted for it,

Stinks of desperation (which can smell a lot like shit.)

I know agents only sought to serve the greater good

When they questioned prisoners in handcuffs and a hood.

They forgot, when torturing the people we oppose,

You can't roll in shit and come up smelling like a rose.